Fabric reinforced cement

Abstract

A cement panel that is reinforced with a fabric made of carbon fibers. The cement panel includes a core layer that is made of a lightweight cement composition. This core layer is covered with a layer of reinforcing carbon fabric on the top and on the bottom, each bonded to the core with a coating of cementitious material on the top and on the bottom of the core layer. On the edges of the cement panels, the fabric layers are overlapped so as to augment the strength of these edges.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A reinforced cement panel, comprising: 
 a core layer of cementitious material; and    a first layer and a second layer of a reinforcement fabric with said core layer therebetween, wherein said first and said second layers each include plural weft yarns that cross plural warp yarns, and wherein at least some of said weft yarns and said warp yarns are at least partially made of carbon fibers.    
     
     
         2 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are made of 100% carbon fiber.  
     
     
         3 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is bi-directional.  
     
     
         4 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are disposed at 4 to 18 ends per inch.  
     
     
         5 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are in a denier range from approximately 150 to 2000 denier.  
     
     
         6 . The cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is tri-directional.  
     
     
         7 . The cement panel as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said reinforcement fabric has a fabric construction of 4 to 18 ends per inch in the warp direction and between 2×2 and 9×9 ends per inch in the weft direction.  
     
     
         8 . The cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are made of a combination of said carbon fiber and a fiber that is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyamides, polyolefin, ceramic, nylon, fiberglass, basalt, aramid, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are bonded by an adhesive.  
     
     
         10 . The cement panel as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said adhesive is selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidiene chloride, polyacrylate, acrylic latex, styrene butadiene rubber, and plastisol.  
     
     
         11 . The cement panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first layer and said second layer of said reinforcement fabric are overlapped at the edges of said core layer.  
     
     
         12 . A reinforced cement panel, comprising: 
 a core layer of cementitious material; and    a first layer and a second layer of a reinforcement fabric with said core layer therebetween, wherein said first and said second layers each include plural weft yarns that cross plural warp yarns, and wherein at lease some of said plural weft yarns are made of carbon fibers and said plural warp yarns made of a second fiber.    
     
     
         13 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said second fiber is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyamides, polyolefin, ceramic, nylon, fiberglass, basalt, aramid, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is bi-directional.  
     
     
         15 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is tri-directional.  
     
     
         16 . A reinforced cement panel, comprising: 
 a core layer of cementitious material;    a first layer and a second layer of a reinforcement fabric with said core layer therebetween, wherein said first and said second layers each include plural weft yarns that cross plural warp yarns, and wherein at least one of said weft yarns or said warp yarns includes alternating yarns of carbon fiber and a second fiber.    
     
     
         17 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said second fiber is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyamides, polyolefin, ceramic, nylon, fiberglass, basalt, aramid, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is bi-directional.  
     
     
         19 . The reinforcement cement panel as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is tri-directional.  
     
     
         20 . A fabric comprising: 
 a plurality weft yarns that cross plural warp yarns, wherein at least some of said weft yarns and said warp yarns are at least partially made of carbon fibers.    
     
     
         21 . The fabric as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are made of 100% carbon fiber.  
     
     
         22 . The fabric as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said reinforcement fabric is bi-directional.  
     
     
         23 . The fabric as recited in  claim 22 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are disposed at 4 to 18 ends per inch.  
     
     
         24 . The fabric as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are in a denier range from approximately 150 to 2000 denier.  
     
     
         25 . The fabric as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said fabric is tri-directional.  
     
     
         26 . The fabric as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said fabric has a fabric construction of 4 to 18 ends per inch in the warp direction and between 2×2 and 9×9 ends per inch in the weft direction.  
     
     
         27 . The fabric as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are made of a combination of said carbon fiber and a fiber that is selected from a group consisting of polyester, polyamides, polyolefin, ceramic, nylon, fiberglass, basalt, aramid, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The fabric as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said weft yarns and said warp yarns are bonded by an adhesive.  
     
     
         29 . The fabric as recited in  claim 28 , wherein said adhesive is selected from a group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidiene chloride, polyacrylate, acrylic latex, styrene butadiene rubber, and plastisol.  
     
     
         30 . A reinforced cement panel, comprising: 
 a core layer of cementitious material; and    a first layer and a second layer of a reinforcement fabric with said core layer therebetween, wherein said first and said second layers each include a non-woven mat made at least partially of carbon fibers.    
     
     
         31 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 30 , wherein said non-woven mat includes randomly oriented fibers.  
     
     
         32 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 30 , wherein said non-woven mat includes aligned fibers.  
     
     
         33 . The reinforced cement panel as recited in  claim 30 , wherein said non-woven mat is made from 100% carbon fibers.  
     
     
         34 . A reinforcement fabric for cement panels, said reinforcement fabric comprising a non-woven mat made from 100% carbon fibers.  
     
     
         35 . The reinforcement fabric as recited in  claim 34 , wherein said non-woven mat includes randomly oriented fibers.  
     
     
         36 . The reinforcement fabric as recited in  claim 34 , wherein said non-woven mat includes aligned fibers.